Jalandhar, Apr 12 : Pakistani wrestlers grappled with their Indian counterparts in the sub-junior National Wrestling Championship, which got underway here on April 11.

The Pakistani participants were overwhelmed by the Indian hospitality.

"We received such a warm welcome when we arrived. We are enjoying being part of the wrestling championships. Wrestling in Pakistan has decreased considerably as compared to India," said Shah Mehmood, a Pakistani wrestler.

In order to make the championships more interesting, new rules have been introduced. Apart from inclusion of international wrestlers, the time frame of the rounds has been reduced, making the competition more challenging.

Furthermore, as opposed to the earlier practice of wrestling on mud turf, it has now been changed to a contemporary auditorium as per Olympic standards.

"According to the new rules, all ten competitions would be decided in a single day. We have 15 international wrestlers participating in the event. It feels really good to have Pakistani wrestlers in the competition," said Kartar Singh, the President of the Punjab Kushti Sangh.

Women are also taking part in the event.

ANI